DelMarVa Championship (Round 2, Best of 7)
Game 4: Norfolk Cavaliers vs Wilmington Iron Pigs
Cavaliers lead the series 3-0
Cavs Pregame:
Cornell Pearson will be on the bump today in hopes to close the door on this series. I have a lot of mixed feelings about Pearson, it seems like everytime I am about to trade him because he is "awful" he gets going on a hot streak. I just wish he was a little more consistent. He is 29 and if he pitched up to his talent every game he would be one of the top pitches in the game... but none of that matters today. I just need him to mow down the Iron Pigs so we can get the trophy back to Norfolk.
The Iron Pigs are going with Dan Pierson who is having a decent playoff's. Pierson hasn't given up a run or been able to get a decision against the Cav's, so it will be intersting to see how we fair... Pierson is a righty, which means our lineup will be the same as it has been the previous 3.
Something that I overlooked in the Game 3 preview was a key injury to the Iron Pigs 2B Kevin Barber. He fractured his finger an is going to miss the rest of the series. Barber is a 4.5* player and is being replaced by a 2* veteran Jose Escamilla. During the 9 games he played this post-season Barber was hitting .206-0-3.
Hopefully this will be it, the further we go, the harder it will be...
Here is a look at the game 4 lineups:
Game Time:
After 3 innings the game is a pitchers duel with each team collecting 3 hits. The Cav's have hit into double plays in the 1st and 2nd. (After 3: Game tied 0-0)
Dan Pierson made a mistake on a 2-1 pitch in the 4th to lead-off hitter Bob Short. Short would hit that mistake 390ft over the right-cetner field wall for the games first run. (After 3 1/2: Cav's lead 1-0)
In the 5th the Cav's would add some insurance with a 2-out rally. Sergio Garcia got things started with a single to right. The next hitter Sergio Rodriguez, who has a 2 power rating, would hit a 2-run HR (373ft) over the RF fence. Giving the Cav's 2 insurance runs. (After 4 1/2: Cav's lead 3-0)
The 7th would be a near miss for the Cav's, but they would get one. Claudio Flores lead off the inning reach 2nd on a walk. Sergio Galvez was intentionally walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd with no out. Sergio Rodriguez flew out to left for out number one. Bob Short singled to load the bases with 1-out. Edgar Baez hit a laser to first, the Iron Pigs decided to try to turn two, but Baez hustled down the line to prevent that, scoring Flores. Hamer would end the inning on a fly out to left. The Cav's missed a big opportunity, but did score another insurance run. (After 6 1/2: Cav's lead 4-0)
In the bottom of the 8th the Iron Pigs would finally get a run across. Walt Martin lead off the inning with a single. He would move up to second on a passed ball. Then to third on a ground-out to first. Pepe Santana then would drive him in on a fly ball to deep right. But that was all they could get breaking their Championship Series scoring drought of 19 innings! (After 8: Cav's lead 4-1)
I left Cornell Pearson on the mound to see if he could finsih off the complete game, but that only lasted one batter, as Antonio Castaneda would lead-off the inning with a 430ft shot to dead center... Miguel Angel Gonzalez would enter the game... Miguel Angel would do what he has done all series... Alonso Martinez grounds out to short... Matt Fisher flies out to center... Jose Escamilla grounds out to short... (After 9: Cav's 4-2)
The Norfolk Cavaliers win the game 4-2 and the series 4-0... there will be a party in Norfolk tonight, as the title returns to the Cavaliers!!!!
W: Cornell Pearson (1-0)
L: Dan Pierson (0-1)
S: Miguel Angel Gonzalez (3)
HR: NFK: Sergio Rodiguez (1), Bob Short (2)
POG: Bob Short, Norfolk Cavaliers: 4-4, HR (2), R, RBI
Cavs Postgame:
That was a fun game, and I am glad the title is back in Norfolk. The way the season started I never thought we would have this chance to celebrate. I guess its fitting that the hero of the series was Bob Short, part of the reason of the big second half turn around...
Cornell Pearson threw a great game today, eventhough his game score was only a 62. To me he did everything he had to, he threw 8 strong innings, allowing just 6 hits and 1 BB, while striking out 7. Both runs were his, but the HR in the 9th was more my fault than anything. I was just feeling greedy.
One thing I talk about with this team is the strong starting rotation and that really showed during this series. In 3 of the 4 games the starters went 8+ innings, and I am pretty sure that would of happened in game 2 if Contreras didn't go down injuried. The bullpen was barely used, actually only 2 guys out of then pen were used. Miguel Angel Gonzalez closed out games 1, 3 and 4, and Alberto Sanchez threw 3+ in game 2...
Speaking of subs, I don't think the bench was used at all during this series either, outside of Robinson Lopez. Lopez came in and played second during 2 games for defensive purposes.
Our offense collected 10 hits on the day, with Short collecting 4 and Gallegos 2 of them... The Iron Pigs had 6, with Castaneda collecting 3 of them. Maybe that injury to Baker was a lot bigger than I thought, as Jose Escamilla was 0-4 with 2 K's.
Dan Pierson threw 8.1 innings, 123 pitches, allowing all 10 hits and 4 runs, 3 of which were earned. Overall, he had a pretty decent game. His offense just couldn't get much going for them... I am surprised that the top run producing team in the Delaware Conference would hit a streach of 19 innings of nothing. Just amazing.
Asked after the game, what it's like to lose in the League Championship, Wilmington's manager replied, "You want the results to be different." Then he added, "They simply outplayed us, they deserve it. They beat us. They're the champions."
This is the first title for Manager Arthur Ray. There has been speculation that Ray would be let go if he didn't get a title under his belt, after Allastiar Turcotte won 5 during his 9 year tenure... I wouldn't of called Turcotte a legend, but when you win 5 titles in 9 seasons its hard to argue he isn't... And Ray has found out the hard way, how hard it is to follow a legend.
Series MVP: Bob Short, Norfolk Cavaliers: .533-2-4 (8-15), 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI's, 6 R's
Honorable Mention:
Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Norfolk Cavaliers: 3 G, 2.2 IP, 0 H, 2 K's, 3 SV
Edgar Baez, Norfolk Cavaliers: .294-1-5 (lead team in RBI's)